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Have an idea for a startup company? SA Startup Week can help you bring it to life
The week-long series of events is in its seventh year. Organizers say this year will offer events that previously were spread out throughout the year.
As efforts continue to make San Antonio a destination for startup companies, SA Startup Week is bringing together a full week of events to support and inspire founders of new organizations from October 16-22.
The week-long series of events is in its seventh year. Organizers say this year will offer events that previously were spread out throughout the entire year. This year's festivities will also aim to bring in more creative startups and bring a focus on health and wellness.
KENS 5 spoke with Phillip Hernandez, Executive Director of SA Startup Week and COO of Geekdom, about what the week holds and what startup companies are facing in the current landscape.
See our interview with Hernandez in this video below (article continues underneath):
Hernandez says the week is designed as a collaboration of different startup resources presented within one week to give companies a "one stop shop" way to get support.
"We have Velocity Texas, 80/20 (Foundation), Active Capital, Alamo Angels, Capital Factory, Tech Port, Tech Bloc, Generator, Trinity...all of us have gotten together to really put on an awesome seven days of content for everybody," Hernandez said. "The way that we approached it this time is a lot of those organizations have some premier events that happen throughout the year. And what I wanted to do is just organize all of those things so that we can have them all happen in one week."
The week kicks off Sunday, October 16, with a number of events focused on health and wellness. The week continues with a full slate of events each day, Monday through Friday, and larger events in the evening.
Monday night's event includes opening remarks from San Antonio Mayor Nirenberg and a special key note speaker.
"We're going to have our keynote speech given by Steve Case, co-founder of AOL and New York Times bestselling author. And he's the author of a book that was just released actually called 'Rise of The Rest,'" Hernandez said. "The idea behind that book is that cities can be revived and rise again if they build a vibrant startup culture, which is exactly what we're celebrating with San Antonio Startup Week."
SA Startup Week offers eight programming tracks: Startups, Technology, Spotlight, Civic Engagement, Culture, Health, Marketing and Brand Experience. The events are free of charge and take place in various locations including the Rand building, Geekdom, the Frost Tower, and many others.
Expanding the tent:
Hernandez hopes to shake off the misconception that startups are mainly seen in tech industries, especially in the community at his company, Geekdom, as well at Tech Bloc.
He says the companies invited to participate in Startup Week span many industries and talents.
"We have programing that caters towards health care and restaurants, retail, lifestyle, businesses, all kinds of different things. So it's really industry agnostic," Hernandez said. "If you want to start something or you want to be part of a startup, or you just want to understand what it is to be part of innovation in San Antonio, this is the conference for you."
He says they have seen a particular increase in the amount of creative companies utilizing resources for startup companies.
"We've seen an influx of creatives in our startup ecosystem in the last couple of years, and we want to show them this is a place for them as well," Hernadez said.
They include people who may have been doing creative work, like photography, digital media, digital marketing and graphic design as a hobby, and are looking to turn it into a business.
"We've seen in the last couple of years that there's more folks like that, those creative folks that are coming in and wanting to turn that into a business and wanting to provide or wanting to offer that service to, you know, to get money and they can get paid for it," Hernandez said. "And so we've realized that a lot of our resources that we provide on entrepreneurs translate over to creatives as well."
Hernadez says the inclusion of creatives is paralleled at Geekdom, which has a dedicated physical space for creative professionals that includes photo backdrops, lighting, mic stands, mics, a podcast set and more.
Health and Wellness:
A new appreciation for wellness that emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic is reflected in the SA Startup Week calendar.
Hernandez says the 2022 conference has added a health and well-being component. He says in the daily grind and pressure of starting a new company, it is not uncommon for founders to neglect care for themselves.
"This year, we started to look at the entrepreneur and founder holistically and kind of see...how can we address the founder themselves?" Hernandez said.
The wellness portion of the event will take place the first day of the week, Sunday, October 16, in order to give attendees wellness tools ahead of the hectic week.
"We're going to go and have that Health and Wellness Day -- will start off with that panel and talk about how health and wellness has helped take their entrepreneurial ideas to the next level."
Hernandez believes taking time out to focus on wellness will pay off in the long run.
"A startup founder as we know it, it's a grind and there's nobody else working on it except for you. And so you have to make sure that you take care of yourself," he said. "We've seen with entrepreneurs is that if you do carve out that time to to focus on yourself and get your mind and body right, you'll be more productive in the time that you're working on your startup."
COVID, inflation, the economy, OH MY:
The two themes of the conference: Kickstart the Future and Community Connects Us All both address some of the challenges startup companies have faced after the pandemic, rising inflation and labor shortages.
Hernandez says the community theme is a strength here in San Antonio.
"No matter who you talk to, there's somebody out here in San Antonio that's going to help you. And you're only one or two connections away from your co-founder or the resource that's going to take you to the next level."
The other theme of kickstarting the future speaks the unique challenges facing startup founders and new companies.
"We've realized that, you know, there is no real going back to normal, but rather adapting to what this new normal is," Hernandez said. "And so that's why we made that one of the things...to really kickstart that future and have a conversation on what are we doing individually and what can we do together to help each other kickstart the future."


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My Wardrobe to ditch menswear offering
Online retailer My Wardrobe.com is reportedly ditching its menswear offering next year as part of plans to focus on its international expansion.
Menswear brands are being contacted to explain the shift in strategy that will be rolled out from spring of next year, according to Drapers.
The menswear brands currently sold by My Wardrobe include Barbour, Belstaff and Folk.
It is understood the five-strong menswear team, which is headed by buying manager Lee Douros, will leave My Wardrobe over the next three to four months.
The news of My Wardrobe dropping its menswear offering to focus on expansion into Germany and the US comes as British fashion retailer Jack Wills drops its Aubin & Wills sister brand in order to invest in growing its business overseas.
David Worby, chief executive at My Wardrobe, said the retailer would now focus on its heartland womenswear ranges, because they were the areas that would make a difference to the business.
British retail brands are increasingly seeking to grow sales in online markets to offset slow growth in Britain.
Asos recently saw sales rise 38% to £538m for its financial year, with UK sales up 10% to £205m and international sales rocketing 64% to £333m.
This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk
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- 'We will always love M&S' says Walker Media in goodbye statement

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In recent weeks, the Apple Vision Pro has captured the public’s imagination, creating a stir in cities across the globe. This cutting-edge piece of technology, with its hefty price tag of $3,499, has not only been a hot topic among tech enthusiasts but has also raised eyebrows and concerns in equal measure.
Unparalleled Success Despite the Price Tag
The sales figures are in, and they’re impressive: an estimated 200,000 units of the Apple Vision Pro have been sold in the U.S. alone. This is a staggering number, especially considering the premium price of the headset.
Apple has once again tapped into the zeitgeist, offering a product that resonates with the tech-savvy and those seeking the next level of augmented reality experiences.
Encounters in San Diego: A Public Safety Reminder
A recent incident in San Diego has brought to light the potential hazards of using such immersive technology in public spaces. A video shared by the San Diego Police Department on Instagram shows a man, completely absorbed in his Apple Vision Pro experience, walking past police officers who were in the middle of an operation.
This incident has prompted the police to issue a warning about the dangers of wearing Apple Vision Pros in public, emphasizing the need for pedestrian safety and awareness.
“Keep those virtual experiences on the sidewalk, folks, and let’s cross streets the old-fashioned way – with our eyes wide open to the real world, unobstructed and without distractions!”
The Apple Vision Pro in Action: From New York to London
Popular YouTuber Casey Neistat took the Apple Vision Pro for a spin on the bustling streets of New York, offering his audience a first-hand view of the device’s capabilities. Neistat’s experience, where he found himself engrossed in a virtual world while surrounded by the real one, highlights the immersive nature of the headset.
Similarly, in London, a tech enthusiast was seen ‘walking’ a robot dog while donning the Apple Vision Pro. This unusual sight caught the attention of both passersby and online viewers, sparking a mix of admiration and skepticism.
The Virtual World Meets the Real World
As users navigate their daily lives with the Apple Vision Pro, unexpected interactions between the virtual and real worlds have occurred. For instance, a user in Tokyo was taken by surprise when a pop-up screen prompted them to log into a public WiFi network, an incident reminiscent of scenes from the Netflix series Black Mirror.
These moments raise questions about how augmented reality might reshape our interactions with the environment and the potential for new forms of intrusive advertising.
— Rocking This Tesla (@RockerKevin) February 21, 2024
The Price of Innovation
The launch of the Apple Vision Pro at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference 2023 left many stunned at its price. Yet, this has not deterred the tech giant’s loyal following. Historical comparisons suggest that groundbreaking technology often comes with a steep initial cost, which may decrease over time as the technology becomes more mainstream.
A Token of Appreciation or a Missed Opportunity?
Apple’s decision to gift employees involved in the Apple Vision Pro project a framed picture of the device, rather than the product itself, sparked mixed reactions online. While some appreciated the gesture, others questioned why the actual headset wasn’t offered as a token of appreciation, especially given its high retail price.
The Future Is Here, But At What Cost?
The Apple Vision Pro has undoubtedly pushed the boundaries of augmented reality, offering users a glimpse into a future where the digital and physical worlds seamlessly blend.
However, this innovation comes with its own set of challenges, from public safety concerns to ethical questions about how such technology should be integrated into our daily lives. As we embrace these new virtual horizons, it’s crucial to remain mindful of the real-world implications they carry.


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source : http://www.lexology.com/
As noted by many commentators at the time, following the 6 October 2015 ruling of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Case C-362/14 Maximillian Schrems v. Data Protection Commissioner, the main tool used within the European Union to (legitimately) transfer personal data to the United States, the so-called Safe Harbor regime, had practically ceased to exist. As regards Italy particularly, a few days after the ruling in question, the Garante della Privacy (the Italian Data Protection Authority) hastily decreed the revocation of its 2001 decision sanctioning the European Commission’s decision on the Safe Harbor agreement; thus, for all intents and purposes taking the Safe Harbor scheme out of the picture as far as the Italian jurisdiction was concerned.
It was a legislative void of no small relevance for many Italian subsidiaries of US multinationals, which typically export to their US parent company employees’ and/or customers’ personal data, or, for that matter, for all companies placing personal data in the “cloud”, with servers located in the United States. All these businesses had to resort to alternative, less practical methods in order to continue exporting such data without running the risk of being found in breach of the law.
Meanwhile, the European Union Commission and the US authorities worked out a solution by signing the so-called “EU-U.S. Privacy Shield”, a new set of principles that ensure an adequate level of protection for personal data transferred from the EU to the USA, ratified by the European Commission decision no. 2016/1250 of 12 July 2016.
The last piece of the puzzle from an Italian perspective was the Garante’s official endorsement of that decision. That has finally arrived with the Garante’s resolution no. 436 of 27 October 2016, published in Italy’s Official Journal on 22 November 2016.
Companies subject to the Italian jurisdiction will now be able to transfer personal data to US-based organisations that commit or will commit to complying with the “Privacy Shield” principles.
The Garante has however reserved the right to review compliance with the law of any export of personal data and to adopt further measures as necessary.


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NHL MASCOT COLLECTOR CUPS NOW AVAILABLE AT TIM HORTON'S IN CANADA
Index Promotions recently worked with Tim Horton's to produce these fun NHL Mascot Collector Cups. There are 7 to collect in all, now at participating Tim Horton's restaurants in Canada.
CHARLIE GAFFNEY TALKS TRADE WITH PARK WORLD NEWS
Index Promotions CEO Charlie Gaffney outlines the four ways to ensure merchandise and novelty items are successful and engaging to your customers in the latest issue of Park World Magazine.
For more info visit :


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Potatoes are often associated with Idaho, a state which has trademarked its own spud and accounts for one-third of the country’s annual potato production. But, around the 1900s when the Roaring Fork Valley was settled by prospectors, it actually produced more potatoes than the entire state of Idaho.
Mark Kleckner, co-owner of Woody Creek Distillers, learned why last fall.
He, and his business partners Pat and Mary Scanlan, were hoping to yield about 100 tons from their 30-acre farm in Woody Creek. They planted the potatoes in the beginning of June, and when they checked in July they were unimpressed with the size. But, they held onto hope and when it came time to harvest the potatoes in September, “they had just exploded in the ground,” says Kleckner.
The potatoes were huge, and often misshapen, coming out of the earth looking like catcher’s mitts or people’s heads, he says. But they were large and perfect for their purpose. More than 250 tons of potatoes were harvested, all of which went directly to their Basalt-based distillery to produce hyper-local, once-distilled vodka.
Potatoes are rarely used to make vodka, and when they are they often sit on the shelf for months before going into production, says Kleckner. This means that the potatoes have to be rehydrated up to 30 percent before they can be mashed for use. By sourcing its produce from up the road, and sometimes in the same day, Woody Creek Distillers is ensuring a high-quality product from the start.
“A fresh, out-of-the-ground potato doesn’t compare with something from the store,” he says. “And it already has the exact amount of water it needs in there.”
Kleckner and the Scanlans planted seven varietals on their farm, and eventually settled on the Chepita and Rio Grande for their vodka.
With the key ingredient cultivated, they approached the rest like a scientific problem.
“There isn’t as much wisdom and art as there is in making beer or wine,” says Kleckner. “It’s more about engineering and process.”
Kleckner grew up in Fort Collins, and then attended the Colorado School of Mines. He later worked for Lockheed Martin, where he met Pat Scanlan and bonded over “motorcycles and drinking.”
Their combined dream of producing super premium vodka came to fruition just this month after two years in the making. The stunning 10,000-square foot facility and tasting room opened in Basalt two weeks ago, and the company’s first shipment went out to Southern Wine & Spirits this week. The 750-milliliter bottles will be distributed around the state, available in valley liquor stores, and places like the J-Bar and The Little Nell.
So far, people who have tried the vodka are raving. By combining fresh potatoes, top-of-the-line equipment and crisp Rocky Mountain water, the distillery has nailed a tasty combination. They’ll find out if it’s also a winning one this weekend, when it goes up against others in the San Francisco Spirits Competition, one of the most respected in the world.
The potatoes are a vintage crop, says Kleckner, meaning they’re harvested once a year. The rest of the time is spent on development and planning. In the future, Woody Creek Distillers will expand its offerings to include brandy, bourbon and whiskey. He’s already got an order for Palisade peaches and apples, and hopes to craft boutique batches from this in 2014. Right now, the tasting room serves straight-up vodka, but signature cocktails are on their way.
“It’s pretty simple, that by using the best ingredients and the best equipment, we’re hoping to make some good alcohol.”
The tasting room is open Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 7 p.m. and is located at 60 Sunset Dr. in the Basalt Business Center.


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WWF launches line of sustainable meals
Conservation charity WWF has teamed up with facilities manager and food services provider Sodexo to launch a new range of 10 'sustainable' meals.
The Green & Lean meals, developed jointly by WWF experts and Sodexo chefs, are designed to be nutritious and low-carbon with responsibly sourced ingredients.
At least two thirds of every meal is made up of plant-based foods in order to limit the impact of resource-intensive meat production. In addition, any meat and fish has to have relevant certification, such as MSC or RSPCA Assured.
The meals – including beef lasagne, chicken and leek pie and Lancashire hotpot – are being piloted over the next few weeks in eight of Sodexo’s independent school contracts.
Sodexo’s executive development chef for Independent Schools, Tom Allen said: “It was really important that the meals we created tasted great. The idea was to make small changes to popular, well-loved dishes that would up the nutritional content and reduce the environmental impact, without dramatically changing the taste or the look of the dish.
“For example, the Green & Lean lasagne contains more carrots, onions and celery than Sodexo’s original recipe and less beef mince. It also contains wholemeal rather than white flour pasta.”
Emissions from livestock, largely from burping cows and sheep and their manure, currently make up almost 15% of global emissions. Beef and dairy alone make up 65% of all livestock emissions.
Appetite for meat is rocketing as the global population swells and becomes more able to afford meat. Meat consumption is on track to rise 75% by 2050, and dairy 65%, compared with 40% for cereals.
The impact on global water stores could be equally harmful with around 23% of the planet’s freshwater supply already going towards raising livestock.
Following the pilot, Sodexo intends to market the meals under the Green & Lean brand to other clients in the schools and universities sector, and within its corporate services business, which operates canteens in some of the world’s biggest companies.
The meals form part of WWF’s LiveWell project which aims to encourage sustainable eating habits.
WWF spokesperson Nick Hughes said: “The food we eat – growing, producing and consuming it – has a massive impact on the planet. We have found that food is responsible for around 30% of Europe’s greenhouse gas emissions.
“Through LiveWell we aim to provide simple, workable guidance on choosing a diet that can improve your health and that of the planet at the same time and is also affordable. It is great that these principles can be applied to meals like lasagne and chicken pie and we are hopeful that Green & Lean will be successful.”
LiveWell is not the first campaign to attmept to reduce the environmental impact of people’s food choices. Earlier this year Climates – a new environmental social networking site – launched its Climatarian diet which it claims can save up to a tonne of CO2 per year for each person.
The social network says cutting back on beef and lamb can have a dramatic effect on your food’s carbon footprint. The Climatarian diet also recommends avoiding using air freighted food and frozen produce, instead only purchasing local, seasonal and fresh produce.
The impact of food on the environment has been thrust into the spotlight in recent weeks after the BBC show Hugh’s War on Waste highlighted the amount of valuable resources that go into creating food that is thrown away all too often.


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Beauty industry stalwart Tajinder Banwait will describe the journey of her fragrance company from kitchen table to international audience during a special event celebrating local businesses.
Urban Apothecary started life in Leicester in 2012, going on to supply the likes of The Conran Shop, Selfridges, Fenwick and 30 international markets.
Tajinder, honoured with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise last year in recognition of excellence in international trade, will describe how she did it during a keynote speech next month.
And she will tell fellow business owners how she worked with the LLEP Business Gateway Growth Hub during the development of Urban Apothecary.
You can register now to attend the free event, which will bring together businesses from across the city and county to acknowledge success among firms supported by the Growth Hub over the last four years.
The special event, which takes place at the Holiday Inn, St Nicholas Circle, from 9.30am to 2.00pm on June 23, will also guide business leaders towards support which is currently available.
Existing services will change from July 1, with the conclusion of four years of European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) support provided to the LLEP Business Gateway Growth Hub.
Since autumn 2019, more than 100 businesses have received a total of more than £1.8 m in capital grants.
Meanwhile, the LLEP Business Gateway Growth Hub has provided almost 5,000 hours of intensive business advice to 414 small and medium-sized businesses.
The existing service is run in partnership by Leicester City Council, Leicestershire County Council, the East Midlands Chamber and the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP).
Although the European funding will end on June 30, the LLEP Business Gateway Growth Hub will continue to signpost to local, regional and national support available to the Leicestershire business community.
Sonia Baigent, LLEP Board Member and Chair of the LLEP Business Board, said:
The landscape might be changing when it comes to European funding, but there is still a wealth of support on offer and the Growth Hub is well-placed to steer businesses to what they need to succeed.
The Growth Hub team are extremely experienced in signposting local businesses towards advice, new markets, and investment – as we will hear at the event next month.
Those attending the event will gain tips on business growth, and make connections with support providers during a mini-expo of service providers.
They will also be able to network with other business owners and entrepreneurs over a complimentary buffet lunch.
Places are limited and early booking is recommended.Reserve your free place


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Westchester Innovation Network Launches International Collaborations
The BCW’s Westchester Innovation Network (WIN) is going global with the launch of international collaborations with Wilfrid Laurier University in Canada and the MATI business development center in Israel.
WIN’s work with Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario began earlier this year when WIN matched two early-stage startups founded by Laurier students with local partners. WIN’s relationship with Wilfrid Laurier University is deepening with the launch of a new project in collaboration with a local university.
The MATI business development center in Jerusalem is a not-for-profit organization that helps aspiring entrepreneurs open new businesses and expand existing ones in all fields. MATI will work with WIN to develop a strategic alliance with the goal of connecting Israel’s innovation culture with Westchester County.
“Both Wilfrid Laurier University and MATI offer resources for innovators, and they will send us innovators. The Westchester Innovation Network will serve as a safe landing spot for these innovators from abroad,” said Dr. Marsha Gordon, the BCW’s President and CEO. “At the same time, we hope that our collaboration with Wilfrid Laurier University and MATI will open international doors for Westchester County’s innovators who are eager to get their products and services to foreign markets.”
Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, is in a geographic region ranked as the fastest growing small tech talent market in North America for tech talent market in North America and #1` market for tech talent quality in Canada, according to the 2021 CBRE Scoring Tech Talent report. Last week, Laurier students won a $5,000 innovation grant at WIN’s Showcase for their startup Last20, a sustainable pavement company.
“Our school’s work with WIN has already yielded positive results for our students who participated in a match,” said Laura Allan, the university’s director of innovation and entrepreneurship “We are eager to expand our work with WIN so that more of our students have opportunities to make new connections as they build their careers.”
Established in 1991, MATI helps the citizens of Jerusalem achieve financial independence by supporting the development of small and medium-sized businesses and the advancement of existing ones. The organization is also at the vanguard of job creation in Jerusalem, driving local growth and social equity by providing solutions to societal immobility and unemployment.
“We have succeeded in creating 16,000 new businesses,” said Alan Freeman, a member of MATI’s International Advisory Committee. “The BCW felt that it was time that we started to mix and match between Jerusalem businesses and Westchester businesses.”
Additional news about the WIN program is posted on the BCW’s website.
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Artificial intelligence, or AI, is impacting virtually every industry, offering opportunities to transform business as usual. Understanding the technology and how best to leverage its potential in real estate was the topic of a recent in-depth forum hosted by Fordham University’s School of Professional and Continuing Studies and The Business Council of Westchester. “Revolutionizing Real […]
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Panasonic is developing a new cloud ENG system to make it simpler to preview images, add metadata and eventually stream live news.
“Our vision is that all of our products are cloud capable and can support IP,” said Stephen Yeo, marketing director, PSCE. Indeed, Panasonic recently bought CameraManager, a Dutch company specialising in cloud-based surveillance systems with more than 40,000 cameras installed across Europe.
“We are developing the backend and workflow to get the content back to base quickly and cost effectively,” explained Rob Tarrant, European product manager, Broadcast and Pro AV. Panasonic already works with various uplink manufacturers, such as LiveU, to integrate these systems into the viewfinder, but its two new camcorders can also use a single SIM card to connect to the cloud.
“Part of the reason broadcasters aren’t using metadata is that cameramen don’t have time to do it. The people who benefit from metadata are back in the TV station, so this system allows them to create metadata, email it to the cameraman for upload to the camera, and when the shoot is finished the proxy is pushed to the cloud, and can be viewed and edited. The EDL can be sent back to the camera, which will then FTP full res quality to the cloud,” he said. In future, they will also be able to stream live while recording so a piece can be edited and ready to go almost as soon as it is shot. Breaking news can even use the proxy for immediate use.
Both the €23,000 shoulder-mount AJ-PX5000 (available October) and handheld AJ-PX270 (available Spring 2014) will have this functionality, “so you can pick the camera that best suits the application”, he said.
They are also the first cameras with the AVC-Ultra codec built in rather than an optional upgrade. The EBU has recommended LonG 25 as full broadcast quality. “It’s the same quality as AVC-Intra 100.”


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The Los Angeles Times Book Prizes are a set of awards for excellence in literature held annually since 1980. They are given to books published in the United States within the previous calendar year by a living author(s). Winners receive a citation and $500 for each category. The finalists for each category were announced recently, and the Graphic Novel category, the newest to be added to the prestigious prizes, has an impressive line-up. The Comics Observer looks at each Graphic Novel finalist in the build-up to the award ceremony April 20.
Dave McKean‘s wordless erotic graphic novel Celluloid is an unexpected choice as one of the finalists for this year’s LA Times Book Prize. It uses mixed media and a variety of art styles to depict a sensual and increasingly dream-like and abstract series of sexual encounters by a woman who discovers a mysterious film projector that transports her into another world.
Despite the fantastical angle and artistic prowess of McKean, it is a book with no words and lots of nudity and sex. Perhaps not the ideal poster child for literacy in comics. Despite that simplistic and prudish summary, its artistry elevates it to another level, and that artistry has not gone unnoticed. Paste Magazine named it the fifth best comic of 2011, describing it as a “coital masterwork that elicits beauty and excitement in equal measure” and a “treasure of technical finesse and sensual mystique that transcends its potential controversy”.
It helps that Dave McKean is an award-winning artist known for pushing visual boundaries by depicting the dark and bizarre with more than just a pencil and paper. He has been known to include photography, paintings, sculptures and more to capture his unique visions. He is perhaps most well known for his eerie covers of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman and directing the feature film MirrorMask. He also wrote and illustrated the massive award-winning graphic novel Cages.
Will all of that acclaim and the stunning execution of the book itself be enough for the LA Times Book Prize judges to select erotica for the graphic novel of 2011?
The LA Times Festival of Books is ramping up for this year’s event, one of the country’s largest free outdoor book fairs. Last week, a press release announced the finalists for the 32nd Annual Los Angeles Times Book Prizes, which are given out on the eve of the Festival. Last Friday, the Festival’s website and social media once again came to life to announce that the 17th Annual Festival of Books will be held April 21 and 22 on the campus of the University of Southern California. The Book Prizes award ceremony will be held in USC’s Bovard Auditorium on Friday night, April 20.
The LA Times Book Prizes have been awarded every year since 1980, but it wasn’t until 2009 that a graphic novel category was added. This third year of the graphic novel category has the following five finalists:
- I Will Bite You! And Other Stories by Joseph Lambert (Secret Acres Books)
- Celluloid by Dave McKean (Fantagraphics Books)
- Finder: Voice by Carla Speed McNeil (Dark Horse Comics)
- Congress of the Animals by Jim Woodring (Fantagraphics Books)
- Garden by Yuichi Yokoyama (PictureBox)
Finalists and winners of the LA Times Book Prizes are selected by a panel of three judges per genre. The panels are made up of writers who specialize in each genre. Tickets for the Book Prizes ceremony will be available for purchase at 10 a.m. Monday, March 26. Once again Geoff Boucher of the LA Times’ Hero Complex blog will be presenting the Book Prize for the Graphic Novel category. Look for more on each of the finalists here at The Comics Observer in the weeks and months leading up to the ceremony.
The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books began in 1996 and typically attracts about 140,000 people every year. Just as comics and graphic novels have been embraced by libraries and book stores over the last decade, so too has their presence increased at the Festival. This year will surely include plenty of writers, artists and other comics creators and publishers. A list of authors attending the Festival has already been posted and will be updated as more are confirmed. Already spotted are writers Cecil Castellucci (The Plain Janes and the upcoming The Year of the Beasts) and Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead), and writer/artist Jim Woodring (Congress of the Animals, Weathercraft)


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“Direct marketing initiatives have helped the government decongest mandis, but farmers are selling their produce below minimum support price (MSP),” said an agriculture department official. However, agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar maintained that farmers are getting fair prices. “We have increased the procurement centres by 50% from 14,838 centres to help farmers get MSP for their produce. Not only wheat, we are also striving to help them get floor prices for chana, oilseeds and other pulses,” he said.
Farmers in states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttrakhand and Himachal Pradesh are selling their produce directly through farmer producer organisations and cooperatives to bulk buyers and big retailers.
“Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Uttrakhand have declared accredited warehouses and cold storage as market yards,” the official said. Ravinder Singh Chaudhary, a farmer leader, said in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, where there is no assured procurement of entire crop, farmers have to sell produce at ?1,600-1,800 per quintal. “Since traders are loading harvest right from the farm gate, farmers are selling 10-15% lower than the MSP.” In Punjab and Haryana, where the government buys the entire crop, price is not the issue. Farmers are forced to sell their produce in limited quantity to avoid crowding of mandis.
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1 Comment on this Story
Valerian Pereira260 days ago
keep all 600,000 villages in tact as VILLAGES.
But improve just the infra: Roads: water: electric: schools: hospitals.bank


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The ongoing pandemic has dramatically changed consumer behavior. As a result, it has created new challenges for businesses at all levels of the marketing and communications world. In looking ahead to 2022, there are a few trends that will impact the way many of us do business.
Over the past 20 months, there has been an unprecedented shift in the use of the digital world by both consumers and businesses. In fact, one research study by McKinsey found that the use of digital interactions between customers and supply chains has been accelerated by three to four years. Digital technology has revolutionized the way we all live, work, and play, so it is essential that businesses look to enhance their digital footprint in the coming year.
With this greater use of communication channels comes a tremendous increase in the amount of messaging that consumers and businesses are bombarded with. As a result, you may have only a few seconds to capture their attention. In addition, when people search for information, they are looking for content that is relevant to their immediate needs. As a result, SEO and content will become critical in developing marketing and communication strategies.
The pandemic has also highlighted how important it is to support each other and those organizations that provide much-needed social services. This shift in social norms caused consumers to look to businesses that aligned with this desire to give back to those in need. This creates an opportunity to develop partnerships with non-profit organizations. However, this does not mean simply expressions of support but it must be backed up with tangible actions that align with your own vision of philanthropy.
For many businesses, the ability to attract and hold onto employees has taken on greater importance. With many people shifting their priorities to look for jobs that provide greater flexibility to work from home or go out on their own, this has had a huge impact on human resources. This will require a rethink of what companies are willing to offer employees and new prospects when it comes to appealing to their need for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
One thing that has not changed is the concept of putting your customers first. In today’s world, you are not just selling a product or service but are in the business of satisfying a need. Businesses need to be customer-focused. Whether you are a home-based operation or operate a large storefront, you must be in business to be able to provide a product or service that gives them a benefit or solves a problem.
The above trends are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Each business sector will have its own set of trends that are unique to its operations. Taking the opportunity to bring these forward now will go a long way to helping make the New Year more profitable and enjoyable.
Joe Smith is a communications consultant and an accomplished fine artist. He can be reached via email at firstname.lastname@example.org
IT’S YOUR BUSINESS: Good public relations are integral to success in the business world


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Joseph Fowler is nothing if not persistent.
Now, the founder of Electric Pizzeria — who has tried his concept in several locations around town over the past several years — has a new idea.
His wife Jacqueline’s Mad Boba Gallery, which she opened at 1500 E. Douglas in February and envisioned as a part boba shop, part gallery to give local artists a place to sell their work, didn’t perform like she’d hoped, he said. She couldn’t find enough artists who wanted to participate, and the couple closed Mad Boba on Saturday.
But now, the duo has new plans for the space.
On Wednesday, Fowler plans to relaunch his Electric Pizzeria, which most recently operated at Maple and West but closed in October.
He also plans to continue serving Mad Boba’s boba drinks, tea and espresso from the same spot.
Additionally, he said, he’ll be operating his new print shop, Fowler Imaging — which specializes in T-shirts, custom embroidery and signs — out of the space. It will consist of an embroidery machine and some large printers.
The space also will have room for dine-in customers: Fowler said he’ll be able to seat between 16 and 20 people.
Fowler said he’s tried to simplify the menu and is offering one price for specialty pizzas and one price for cheese pizzas. All the specialty or cauliflower crust pizzas will be $14.99, and cheese pizzas will be $8.99. Extra toppings are $2 apiece.
The changes will “make it as easy and fast for the customers and our employees as possible,” Fowler said.
Electric Pizzeria’s hours will be 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays. It will be closed Sundays and Mondays.
In October, Fowler quietly closed his Electric Pizzeria restaurant at Maple and West, which originally opened in 2018, and said he thought he was done with the restaurant business. Back in June 2021, he’d also opened a second Electric Pizza location in the former Pizza Hut building at Central and Tyler but decided it was too close to his other pizza restaurant and changed it to T’Geaux Cajun in late November of that year. But it closed a few months later, and the space is now home to a Chick N Max.
Fowler said that his new Electric Pizzeria reincarnation will soon start offering delivery via GrubHub and DoorDash.


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BANGKOK, 7 February 2014 The Ministry of Commerce asked rice mill owners yesterday, to provide 50-60% of the pledged value owed to rice growers, until the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) could pay the rice growers in full.
The Deputy Commerce Minister Yanyong Phuangrach, confirmed that the Thai Rice Mills Association had been asked to help provide the money to farmers. The amount would then be paid back to them by the farmers after the BAAC first becomes able to pay the farmers in full. The government will seek approval from the Election Commission to allocate 1.2 billion baht from the central budget to provide interest payments to the rice mills and farmers. If the rice mill owners agree to the proposal, the scheme is expected to be initiated within the month.
Manat Kitprasoet, president of the Thai Rice Mills Association, reportedly said the association does not object to the proposal, as it would help alleviate the plight of farmers. However, such a novel approach requires detailed deliberation and its implementation depended on the consent of each rice mill owner.
However, the Thai Rice Farmers Association President Prasit Bunchoei, has expressed a belief that the measure cannot be implemented. He reasoned that the caretaker government did not have the authority to make guarantees to the rice mills, regarding the money the mills would supply to rice farmers.


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“If you’re looking for the best doctor, online ratings are unlikely to be much help,” Zachary Tracer writes over at Bloomberg. “That’s the determination of researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, who compared reviews of 78 of the medical center’s specialists on five popular ratings sites with a set of internal quality measures and found there was essentially no correlation. The results suggest that in a world awash in online feedback for seemingly every consumer choice, reliable, easy-to-interpret information on how good doctors are at their jobs remains scarce. ‘Patients are using these online ratings probably more often than they should,’ Timothy Daskivich, a professor of urology at the medical center and an author of the study, said in an interview. … Brennan Spiegel, a gastroenterologist and co-author of the study, said that may be the right way to think about reviews — as gauges of things the patient can observe. ‘It may be that these ratings are a good measure of the front-office service or the interpersonal style of the physician,’ said Spiegel, a professor and director of health services research at Cedars-Sinai. ‘We’re not saying that there’s no value to these online ratings — we’re saying don’t confuse those ratings in any way, shape or form with the actual technical skill.’ The study, published online on Friday in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, compared measures developed by Cedars-Sinai with users’ ratings on five sites: Healthgrades, Yelp, Vitals, RateMDs and UCompareHealthCare. The internal performance metrics include reviews from doctors’ colleagues and administrators, how often patients are readmitted and how long they remain in the hospital, and adherence to practice guidelines. According to the study, there was little correlation between the doctors’ performance scores and how their patients assessed them on the websites.” Zachary Tracer, “Don’t Yelp Your Doctor. Study Finds Ratings Are All Wrong,” Bloomberg.
Jeanne Pinder is the founder and CEO of ClearHealthCosts. She worked at The New York Times for almost 25 years as a reporter, editor and human resources executive, then volunteered for a buyout and founded... More by Jeanne Pinder


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The big winner this Black Friday: Online
Cyber sales jump 26 percent while in-store sales dip 1.8 percent
November 26, 2012
For years advertisers have focused their Black Friday advertising efforts on in-store sales and promotions.
Next year that may change to include more cyber Black Friday deals.
Online spending is starting to play a much bigger role in Black Friday, as evidenced by this year’s spending numbers.
While the bulk of sales still come at brick and mortar stores, it’s clear that the web is starting to cut into those numbers, which could lead to a change in marketing strategy for 2013.
Online spending rose 26 percent this year on Black Friday compared with 2011, according to comScore Networks, topping $1 billion in sales for the first time and becoming the biggest single cyber spending day of the year.
By comparison, in-store sales were off 1.8 percent compared to last year, according to ShopperTrak, to $11.2 billion.
It wasn’t from a lack of foot traffic. In fact, in-store visits were up 3.5 percent on Black Friday compared to 2011, ShopperTrak found.
Analysts say that the decline in in-store sales was from a combination of two things, one being the increasing influence of the web.
People are using the internet to check out deals ahead of time, and sometimes they go to stores just to see the item in person, then order it online if the web offers a better price or the store does not have the exact version they want.
Too, people are using their smartphones to comparison shop, finding an item in the store, checking prices online, and then ordering it via their mobile from the seller that has the lowest price.
As stores catch up with this new method of shopping, there will be more and more emphasis on advertising online as well as advertising online deals via traditional media.
Of course, there was also a second reason for the decline in in-store sales on Black Friday, and that was the increase in sales on Thanksgiving Day.
For the second straight year, a number of stores opened at 8 or 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving rather than waiting until early on Black Friday, meaning that shoppers were in and out before Black Friday had even dawned, shifting some of the money that would have been spent on Friday to Thursday.
Tags: advertising, black friday, black friday advertising, black friday sales, comscore, deals, decline, online, online black friday sales, online sales, online shopping, online spending, people, time, web
‘Idol’ fuels Fox past CBS on Thursday
Readers: Expect a record Super Bowl, again
Our rising national obsession with sports
The high cost of ads for the Super Bowl ads
How football stacks up among Hispanics
Rachel, need I go back to school for media?
Weekend TV: The Super Bowl edition
Cable overnights: Another Warriors victory
So-so turnout for ‘Madoff’ miniseries
Sumner Redstone steps down at Viacom, too
Programming blog: What’s canceled and renewed
Denver: Bonkers for Broncs’ big game
What’s hot and not for Super Bowl ads
- Ed Castillo becomes global chief strategy officer at Arnold
- Juan Cruz Vassallo becomes associate creative director at the community
- Robert Cappuccino becomes VP of national sales at Foundations Marketing
- Simon White becomes chief strategy officer at FCB West
- Lynn Eastep becomes president at Fathom
- James Bennet becomes president at ASME
- Andrew Edwards becomes director of digital intelligence at Cardinal Path
- Marc Ferrentino becomes EVP of strategy at Yext
- Matt LeBlanc becomes co-host on BBC's 'Top Gear'
- Isabella Rossellini joins the cast of Hulu's 'Shut Eye'
- Seal joins the cast of Fox’s ‘The Passion’
- Dan Stevens, Aubrey Plaza and Jean Smart join FX’s ‘Legion’
This week’s broadcast ratings
This week’s cable ratings
This week’s top movies, songs and books
This week’s daypart ratings
This month’s new media traffic data
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Digital content manager opening in Atlanta
Senior media planner wanted in Des Moines
Media planner/buyer position in Cincinnati
Looking for a media strategist in Cincinnati
Opening for a marketing communications manager


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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A new era is underway for one of Nashville's oldest restaurants.
The Elliston Place Soda shop reopened Tuesday after being closed for a year and a half, and undergoing massive renovations.
The new restaurant, which sits next door to its previous location, blends its beloved classic look with a modern feel. The original location opened in 1939 and has been a favorite of generations of Nashvillians.
The new restaurant is twice the size of the old location, and it has more booths, tables and fountain stools. New upgrades also include a stage for live music, a full-service bar, outdoor seating, free parking, and a walk-up window for to-go orders.
The menu still features all the classic meat and three options, and of course, lots of milkshakes and pies. The retro red and white tile decor was also incorporated, and there are mini jukeboxes at every booth.
Nashville real estate developer Tony Giarratana bought the restaurant last year after rising rent forced the old owners to shut down the original shop. He said his goal was to preserve it. The renovation took about a year and half with the goal to replicate the original look that customers have enjoyed for decades.
"We have been working towards this for so long, it is surreal to have it open," said Giarratana. "It has been received very well by the community, so I think we're on the right track."
"It’s a balance trying to take something that is that old and has that kind of soul and legacy and rebuild it, but this building lends itself to it. This building is older than original soda shop, so it came with its own soul and story," added Manager Jim Myers.
The restaurant is open from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on weekdays and 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Saturdays, and 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Sundays.


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Closing the Anchorage Store....
I hate it...
Nordstrom will close its downtown Anchorage store at the Fifth Avenue Mall in September, the company announced Wednesday.
The store’s last day of business will be Sept. 13. It is Nordstrom’s only full-line store in Alaska.
“Looking at our needs in the Anchorage market, we decided it made the most sense to close this store and focus on serving customers at the nearby Rack store as well as online,” the statement said.
Nordstrom Rack has a location in Midtown Anchorage. No changes are planned for that store, Nordstrom spokeswoman Emily Sterken said in an email.
The downtown Nordstrom opened in 1975. About 170 people work at the 97,000-square-foot store.
Department stores across the country have been closing for years as consumers shift to online shopping.
It’s not a surprise that the local Nordstrom is closing, said Andrew Halcro, executive director of the Anchorage Community Development Authority.
“It is a sign of the changing retail landscape but I’d also argue it’s really a sign of a struggling economy” in Anchorage, he said.


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Jul 17, 2019 The FMCG arm of Kishore Biyani-led Future Group, Future Consumer (FCL), has set a target to have five Rs 1,000 crore plus food brands in its stable in the next five years. FCL has presence in foods, personal care and home care products.
Jul 12, 2019Kumar Mangalam Birla is consolidating group investment/holding companies under a few heads. He is planning to merge Trapti Trading, TGS Investments, Turquoise Investments and Finance, and a few other entities with Birla Group Holdings (BGH).
Jun 10, 2019The hospitality industry in Kolkata will take yet another significant step on Tuesday when ITC Royal Bengal open its doors for guests. Doubts had been raised in 2015 when around 1500 rooms in the five-star category were proposed in the City of Joy, more than doubling the capacity from just 1300 odd in Kolkata then.
May 13, 2019Sanjiv Puri, the managing director of the ITC, was chosen by YCD for the role when he decided to split the post of executive chairman in 2016. Following the wish of Deveshwar, the post of the executive chairman was replaced with chairman and chief executive officer from February 5, 2017.
Apr 9, 2019Sources close to the development told TOI that Tata Sponge, a subsidiary of Tata Steel, has paid Rs 3,500 crore into the designated escrow account for the deal as the first instalment. “Tata Steel will take control of the integrated steel plant of Usha Martin near Jamshedpur early April 9 morning,” added the sources.
Mar 29, 2019Currently, Engage is India's No. 2 deodorant brand, according to Nielsen data, with a hold of nearly 11% of India's deo market while Fogg is the market leader with 18% market share in a Rs 3,047-crore segment nationally.


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Bi-Lo, Winn-Dixie Shoppers Donate to Nonprofits
Customers of Bi-Lo and Winn-Dixie have donated $399,382.44 and $153,661.68, respectively, to nonprofit organizations within the grocers’ operating areas during a six-week community donation program. The program invited customers to donate at any store register from Feb. 20 to April 2, with all funds benefitting local community organizations to enhance the lives of children, improve health and education, and nourish the hungry in their communities.
“We’re honored to support wonderful organizations that are committed to making our communities great," said Melissa Adams, Bi-Lo Winn-Dixie’s manager of charitable giving. "Many of our local organizations work hard to serve and improve their communities, and we’re dedicated to helping them in those endeavors.”
Bi-Lo and Winn-Dixie are subsidiaries of Bi-Lo Holding, which is the ninth-largest traditional supermarket chain in the United States. The company employs 63,000 team members who serve customers in 686 grocery stores and 484 in-store pharmacies throughout the eight southeastern states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.


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|Here's a company that's making some serious money from casual games.|
Meanwhile, Konami's been on a roll. Their first quarter was $705.9 million, up a few percent from last year, but profits more than tripled (to $52 million from $16.3 million last year). Was it some big software sales and hot new releases? Quite the opposite; their software sales were only 2.76 million units, down from 4.63 million last year. So what did the trick? Here's what IndustryGamers.com said:
Konami’s mobile freemium offerings like Dragon Collection, Sengoku Collection, and Professional Baseball Dream Nine were a huge success for the division and made up for the lack of premium titles in the console space. The titles accounted for a total of 5.5 million registered players for Konami’s mobile games and the publisher will be pushing more properties over into the social space over the coming year.
Freemium games made a huge amount of money for Konami. Not surprisingly, they're planning on doing more of them. It seems pretty obvious that it's the business model of the future, and the way to expand the audience. It doesn't mean you have to stop making software for consoles that's sold in retail stores, but it certainly should affect how you allocate your development resources. We can only hope that Nintendo is learning something from these earnings reports.


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The politics in Andhra Pradesh are running around liquor brands all through the week. Both the opposition and the ruling party leaders are making reference to the liquor brands that are being sold in the liquor outlets in the state for the past three years.
It all started with the hooch deaths in Jangareddigudem of West Godavari district early this month. The Opposition TDP took lead out of the deaths and stalled the proceedings of the Assembly holding the chief minister responsible for the tragedy. TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu, his son Lokesh, and several TDP leaders started talking about the liquor brands in the state.
The popular liquor brands included President Medal, Governors Reserve, Heavens Door, Cliff Hanger, Russian Romonova, Boom Boom Beer ets. The TDP leaders alleged that Jagan Mohan Reddy had brought in these cheap brands to exploit the people. The TDP leaders termed these brands as J brands, meaning Jagan brands.
In return, the ruling YSR Congress leaders came out with the evidential documents explaining that all these brands were licensed by the TDP government between 2016 and 2019 by then chief minister Chandrababu Naidu. The YSR Congress leaders circulated the permission letters issued by the Chandrababu Naidu government and termed them B brands and L brands, meaning Babu brands and Lokesh brands.
Even the chief minister went on record in the Assembly showing the licenses issued by the Chandrababu Naidu regime for all these brands and called them all L brands or B brands. The chief minister went one step ahead and explained that all the distilleries in the state are owned by the TDP leaders or their family members.
Jagan Mohan Reddy said that his government did not give permission to even a single brand in the last three years but had extended the license for a few brands, while other brands license was extended by Chandrababu Naidu government in its last days.
Interestingly, the TDP campaign goes well down the lane with people believing that all these brands are permitted by Jagan Mohan Reddy government despite the ruling party releasing the documentary evidences!


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Welcome to our monthly review of the top social media news.
In March, Facebook continued to lead the way for innovation but Instagram made the headlines too. The number of advertisers on the platform has doubled to reach 1 million – in just 6 months!
Have a look through the list to make sure you’re all up to speed.
The headline says it all. Creativity has been running low for quite some time at Facebook and it seems attacking Snap head-on is at the top of the to-do list. After rolling out a copycat of Snapchat’s Stories on Instagram, the exact same product made it to the Messenger app and is called ‘Day’.
This was bound to happen. After rolling out a copycat on Instagram, Whatsapp and Messenger, Facebook introduced Stories to its main platform as well. But people were not impressed with it:
And we didn’t include tweets with the F word (there were many).
As competition from Snapchat increases and as user growth will inevitably slow down at some point, Facebook has no other choice than being laser-focused on growing user engagement if it wants to stay the uncontested king of social platforms. Mavrck ran a study analysing millions of Facebook posts and according to their findings, engagements per post have increased 26% in 2016 compared to the previous year. Posts generated by users also received nearly 7x more engagements than brand posts.
Finally! Facebook may allow us all to share GIFs in comments – at the moment, a spokesperson said that the feature is “just a test” but given how popular GIFs are, it should be a matter of weeks before a GIF button is rolled out to everyone.
Provided they have the right equipment, any user can now start a 360 broadcast on Facebook. Not everyone can effort 360 cameras, so it’s likely that only businesses and influencers will leverage the technology now. In the future though, chances are that 360 broadcasts will become mainstream.
Twitter is notoriously struggling to add new users, but new findings say that 15% of all users are not in human hands. And that number may even be conservative – the researchers advised that sophisticated bots could have been categorised as ‘humans’ in their framework, so the number of bots on Twitter may actually be well over 50m.
Twitter’s testing the waters to launch a more advanced version of Tweetdeck, one that would require a paid subscription (the core service would remain free). Geared toward power users, the hypothetical future version would support analytics, breaking news alerts and information about what an account’s followers are tweeting about. On top of showing that innovation at Twitter is not completely dead, the new Tweetdeck would also bring a new and much-needed revenue stream to the firm.
It’s no secret that legal documents are (millions of) miles away from the casual, emoji-filled conversations unfolding on social. So when a British court set out to explain Twitter in a formal, black-and-white document, we knew we were in for a treat.
Influencer marketing is red-hot these days but if it’s engagement that marketers are after, the use of micro-influencers is recommended. Micro-Influencers are typically niche influencers with a limited but very engaged following, so whilst their reach is somewhat narrow, they are highly influential amongst their own community. And the difference isn’t small – micro influencers get 6 times more engagement than top influencers. “We’re in time where people are becoming more susceptible of big influencer campaigns”, our own Hannah commented.
Instagram proved it’s THE hottest platform at the moment following the announcement that it now has more than 1m active monthly advertisers. To put this into perspective, there were only a fifth of that number 13 months ago, and 500,000 just 6 months ago. And knowing that 20 percent of Instagram’s audience have used the platform to visit a brand’s website, it’s likely that advertisers won’t stop betting on Instagram anytime soon.
Ads have rapidly made their way to Stories after Instagram launched the feature. First to a select few, and now to everyone. If you want to experiment with Stories ads by creating your own, you can do so within Facebook’s Ads Manager.
Snapchat went public early in the month to great fanfare with a share price of $24.48 ($17 at opening). The first few hours on the market were a true fairy tale but within just 96 hours, the price had dropped to $21.44. The truth is, Snapchat’s early promising results were mainly driven by speculation. The share price is now stagnating at around $22.
Do LinkedIn endorsements really mean something? Apparently, no. According to the author of that study, endorsements are just a nice and easy way for recruiters to source candidates – but endorsements do not reflect well users’ real expertise and skillset. Additionally, more endorsements do not equal to better performance in job interviews, so if you think you’re running very low on endorsements, don’t panic!
LinkedIn is preparing to roll out Trending Storylines on the platform – what this does is surface hot news from the world of business, tailored to different industries through algorithms and a manned editorial team. The new feature promises to “include multiple perspectives, ranging from relevant Influencers and news publishers to people in your network, so you can quickly access diverse opinions, find new voices to follow and join the conversation.” Trending Storylines is already available to US users and will be launched to other major markets imminently.
Pinterest President Tim Kendall is keen to grow revenue by attracting advertisers on the platform. "Because it's a platform based around discovery, people are in an open mindset […] They're here with the intention of finding something new." he said. Therefore, it’s a fertile soil for marketers willing to push in front of receptive eyeballs.
In other news...
When analysing social media performance, many are tempted to track quantitative metrics only. However, to get the full picture, marketers should also track emotions as well as sentiment – as the author puts it, “people don’t make buying choices based on how many of their friends mention a brand; they make them based on what their friends say when they mention those brands.” Here at Jellyfish, we use Brandwatch to track sentiment around brands and we can confirm that tracking just volume of conversations is a good first step but sentiment analysis is just as important.
Remember Foursquare and its check-ins and swarms? The platform may have somewhat vanished from the social media landscape, but it’s doing very well. In recent months, it has repositioned itself as a location intelligence company able to deliver insights about real world movement. And the future looks bright for Foursquare because as its CEO Jeff Glueck says, “the places you go is perhaps the best indicator of who you are.”
Which video format works best on social? There is now a definitive answer, thanks to the guys at Buffer. After running extensive research, they found that square videos outperform landscape videos on each social media platform for video views, engagement and completion rate.
There are nearly 3 billion social media users worldwide. But from one platform to the other, demographics vary greatly and there are a lot of urban myths about which age groups hang out where. The article and the infographic that goes with it are packed full of stats – here are a few:
- 75% of users spend more than 20 minutes daily on Facebook
- 90% of Instagram users are under 35
- YouTube reaches more Millennials than any cable network in the US
- 53% of Twitter users never post any updates (Argh!)
- Pinterest is the best platform for long-term results and evergreen content
- Nearly half of people who make more than $75k/year are on LinkedIn
That’s a wrap! If you have any more articles to add to the list, add the link in the comments below or give me a shout.
Until next month!


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Wells Fargo & Co. got another regulatory order lifted, the latest sign of progress for Chief Executive Charlie Scharf’s quest to turn around the scandal-plagued bank.
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency terminated a 2015 order over add-on products that Wells Fargo improperly sold to customers, according to a statement Thursday.
“Wells Fargo’s top priority is building a risk and control infrastructure appropriate for its size and complexity,” the San Francisco-based bank, which stopped selling the products in 2017, said in a separate statement. “The termination of the 2015 consent order is a step in this work, as the company continues to focus on resolving legacy regulatory issues.”
The order was put in place before the firm’s scandals erupted in 2016 with the revelation that employees opened millions of fake accounts to meet sales goals. Wells Fargo’s regulatory problems multiplied in subsequent years and nine public orders still remain in place, including a costly asset cap from the Federal Reserve.
This is the second OCC action that has been terminated under Scharf, and a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau order expired last year. Still, the firm was handed a fresh sanction from the OCC in September and Scharf has repeatedly said that, while he believes the bank is making progress, there will continue to be “setbacks.”
Andrew is half-human, half-gamer. He’s also a science fiction author writing for BleeBot.


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When investing, your capital is at risk.
Sustainability has become one of the hottest buzzwords in the business world, with more Google hits than ‘the Grand Canyon’, or ‘Ghandi’. But what does it actually mean?
In essence, sustainable businesses aim to deliver on growth and meet the needs of today’s consumer without compromising on the health or wealth of tomorrow – and they’re growing in popularity. According to Deloitte research, over 43% consumers choose brands based on their environmental values. As a result, sustainable businesses from clean energy solutions, to circular economic models, to carbon offsetting technologies, are securing more institutional money than ever before, with the impact investment space anticipated to grow to over $400 billion by 2028.
Keep reading to find out how you can share in the growth of the sustainability space.
➤ Combining profit & purpose
Hundreds of companies including Apple and Ikea have committed to net-zero emissions targets before 2030, and the UK is currently leading Europe with the highest number of net zero companies in operation. Amidst growing greenwashing concerns, firms are being held increasingly accountable by consumers and stakeholders to their sustainability promises – and doing so has proven good for business. Companies backed by a social impact investor are more likely to secure follow-on funding and exit, whether that be through IPO or acquisition, and according to Deutsche Bank, companies with high environmental, social and corporate governance ratings outperform the market in the medium and long term in 89% of cases.
The B Corp certification has earned its title as the golden standard for sustainable business, awarded to for-profit organisations that give just as much consideration to their balance books as their socio-environmental impact. Following global certified brands like Ben & Jerry’s and Patagonia, over 3,900 organisations in 74 countries worldwide have secured accreditation. We’re proud to say that 9 of these have successfully collectively raised over £23.9M on Seedrs, including sustainable tissue brand The Cheeky Panda, impact investing platform tickr and recipe box brand Mindful Chef which just sold to Nestle.
Venture investors are also engaging with the B Corp movement – Unilever already has 5 B Corp brands in its venture portfolio). Additionally, UBS research shows that nearly 40% of family offices will invest the majority of their portfolios sustainably over the next five years, making a strong case for startups to adopt and certify sustainable business models. Overall, the B Corp movement will play an increasingly important role in helping both institutional and retail investors distinguish businesses that champion sustainability from those that simply pay lip service to it.
➤ Funding a greener future
Asset classes from public equities to index funds have initiated a strong push toward ESG initiatives, and while the VC world has been slower to adapt, industry-wide statistics look more promising every year. According to PwC, VC investment in climate tech between 2013 and 2019 grew 5 times the overall global VC market, amounting to $60 billion in early-stage capital, 11% of which was invested into European startups. Sitting in first place among the industries responsible for this growth is e-mobility, followed by greenhouse gas capture and storage, food and beverage innovation and renewable energy solutions. Micro-mobility startups alone accounted for $37.4 billion of all climate tech funding in the past seven years.
Impact investment in the UK has tripled in volume in the last decade alone, now accounting for more than 15% of total European VC investment, and double the global average. Among 2020’s top fundraising rounds for sustainable startups is AI-driven energy startup Octopus Energy, which skyrocketed to a $2.06B valuation following its $200M investment round led by Tokyo Gas, and plant-based meat alternative Meatless Farm, which raised £24M in 2020 from new and existing investors to expand to international markets. These big-hitting rounds are indicative of a larger trend, and venture firms’ commitment to sustainable investing.
➤ Green is the new black
As data further suggests that impact investors have a longer exit horizon than conventional funders, venture and retail investors will likely continue to focus their efforts (and wallets) on ESG opportunities. While the impact investment space was among the hardest hit by the Covid-19 crisis, Beauhurst anticipates a flurry of activity in its wake, as investors look to back solutions for economic recovery. After all, there’s nothing quite like a pandemic to signal the need for long-term solutions for social, environmental and economic resilience.
At Seedrs, we help fund more sustainable businesses every year, from plant-based F&B innovators to e-mobility solutions to renewable energy technologies – and our investors show growing interest in them. Just a few months ago, desalination and tidal energy tech Hydro Wind Energy closed a crowdfunding campaign that was over 3 times oversubscribed, raising over £690K from more than 1200 investors. MacRebur, which is currently live on Seedrs, has raised £2.6M from 2,300 investors to repurpose waste plastics into roads at international scale. Another of our alumni, impact fund Sustainable Accelerator has not only raised nearly £4M on Seedrs over the years (garnering support from over 620 investors for its 4th fund alone), but also came in 5th among the UK’s top impact funds for financing the most sustainable deals since 2011.
As countries around the world strive for climate targets and economic recovery, the need for sustainable solutions has never been greater. We’re looking forward to supporting the businesses equipped to face these challenges – the ones that balance profit and purpose, to build a better future for all.


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China will speed up poverty alleviation through consumption by launching a nationwide campaign in September to boost sales of products from impoverished areas, the country’s poverty relief authority said at a press conference held on Aug. 28.
Passengers buy poverty alleviation products from the first batch of vending machines at the waiting room of Beijing South Railway Station, Aug. 29. (Photo by Sun Lijun/People’s Daily)
The month-long event has been jointly organized by 11 departments including the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development.
The relevant departments are introducing online and offline consumption-driven poverty relief platforms to facilitate the sale of goods from poverty-stricken areas. Customers can buy these products from e-commerce giants including JD.com, Pinduoduo, Taobao and Suning, as well as physical stores including Yonghui Superstores.
In addition, smart vending machines have also been installed at shopping malls, railway stations, hospitals, public institutions and so on to sell these poverty alleviation products.
So far, 76,152 poverty alleviation products from 22 provinces in the central and western regions have been included in the campaign. The figure is expected to rise to 100,000.
Wang Dayang, an officer of the leading group office, explained the certification procedures for these products. Companies or cooperatives can submit applications to county-level poverty relief departments. If the product is identified as a poverty alleviation product, the local government will publish the result under the supervision of municipal, provincial and national related departments.
Poverty alleviation through consumption is an effective way for enterprises and individuals to participate in poverty relief efforts.
Guangzhou in south China’s Guangdong province has established a trading market for products from impoverished areas. Thanks to the local government’s efforts and proper subsidies, the market-based model has opened up a fast track channel for consumption-powered poverty reduction.
According to statistics, sales of such products from poor areas have hit 24.3 billion yuan in the province.


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17.05.2013 NCSP Group turnover in January-April 2013 amounted to 49.5 mln tonnes
Novorossiysk Commercial Sea Port Group (NCSP Group or the Group) (LSE: NCSP, Moscow Exchange: NMTP) announces today that its consolidated cargo turnover for the period of January-April 2013 amounted to 49.5 million tonnes, compared to 55.3 million tonnes in the same period of last year.
Commenting on the Group’s operating results for January-April 2013, NCSP Acting CEO Yury Matvienko said: “The Group’s cargo handling volumes continue to follow the trends seen in the first quarter of the year. The month-on-month growth in crude oil handling is notable, as we have further reduced the overall y-o-y decline in April. Also of note are the positive trend in oil products handling, as well as sustainable developments in container, coal and cement volumes.
Handling of liquid cargo in the reporting period was 42,071.8, compared to 45,426.1 ths tonnes in January-April 2012.
Crude oil handling in January-April 2013 totalled 32,926.8 ths tonnes, compared to 38,428.4 ths tonnes in the same period of last year. In April 2013, crude handling increased by 8.0% compared to March.
Oil products handling in 4M 2013 grew by 2,222.1 ths tonnes (33.3%) compared to January-April 2012 and amounted to 8,888.5 ths tonnes. This was driven primarily by the Novorossiysk Fuel Oil Terminal and Primorsk Trade Port, where volumes increased by 864.4 thousand tonnes and 919.9 thousand tonnes, respectively.
Oil products handling at all Russian sea ports in 4M 2012 grew by just 0.6% compared to 2012 levels, according to ASOP.
Liquid fertilizers (ammonium nitrate) also saw sustainable growth, increasing more than two-fold y-o-y to 190.4 ths tonnes in the reporting period.
In the first four months of 2013, NCSP Group handled 1,933.7 ths tonnes of bulk cargo. The 56.6% y-o-y decrease relative to January-April 2012 was largely due to a decline in grain volumes caused by the poor harvest in 2012. At the same time, volumes of coal, sugar and cement grew y-o-y in the first four months of 2013.
General cargo volumes in 4M 2013 increased by 112.2 ths tonnes (3.0%) and amounted to 3,838.7 ths tonnes.
Volumes of ferrous metals were up 2.8% y-o-y for 4M 2013 though the growth rate slowed, with overall ferrous metals volumes at all Russian sea ports declining 14.8% in the reporting period according to ASOP.
Timber volumes declined 22.3% year-on-year in the first four months of 2013. Timber exports continue to be affected by instability in traditional timber-importing markets like Africa and the Middle East.
Perishable cargoes grew significantly, by 127.6% y-o-y, in the reporting period.
NCSP Group’s total container throughput in January and April 2013 increased by 5.7 thousand TEU (2.7%) year-on-year. The slight decline in container volumes measured in tonnes was in line with the general industry trend towards a declining share of loaded containers in export container traffic.
NCSP Group Cargo Turnover in January-April 2013 (’000 tonnes)
For your convenience, NCSP Group's monthly cargo turnover data is available in Excel format on the company’s website.
About NCSP Group
NCSP Group is the largest port operator in Russia and the third-largest in Europe, in terms of cargo turnover. NCSP shares are traded on Russia's Moscow Exchange (ticker: NMTP) and on the London Stock Exchange in the form of GDRs (ticker: NCSP). 50.1% shares of PJSC “NCSP” belong to Novoport Holding Ltd, the beneficial owners of which are OJSC “Transneft” and Summa Group. NCSP Group cargo turnover in 2012 totaled 159 million tons. Consolidated revenue according to IFRS in 2012 totaled $1 034 million and EBITDA of $591.5 million. NCSP Group consolidates the following companies: PJSC “Novorossiysk Commercial Sea Port”, LLC “Primorsk Trade Port”, PJSC “Novorossiysk Grain Terminal”, OJSC “Novorossiysk Ship Repair Yard”, OJSC “NCSP Fleet”, OJSC “NLE”, OJSC “IPP”, CJSC “Baltic Stevedore Company”, and CJSC “SFP”.
Kristina Senko, Public Relations; KSenko@ncsp.com
Mikhail Shchur, Investor Relations; MShchur@ncsp.com
(Download XLS 501,50 Kb)


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Grown in Green Lab, the diamond was delicately cut and polished into a round shape specifically for the purpose of gifting.
Surat: The green lab-grown diamond gifted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the first lady of the United States, Jill Biden, has been cut and polished in diamond hub Surat in Gujarat. The 7.5 carat diamond was grown at the renowned Green Lab in the city’s Ichhapore Gems and Jewellery Park.
Sources close to Mukesh Patel, the chairman of Green Lab, said he was elated that Modi picked a lab-grown diamond produced in his state-of-the-art facility that runs on green energy. Grown in Green Lab, the diamond was delicately cut and polished into a round shape specifically for the purpose of gifting it to Jill Biden. However, the sources refused to divulge the value of the diamond.
Surat’s diamond industry that cuts and polishes as much as 80% of the gems produced in the world is enthused by this development. According to Dinesh Navadia, chairman of Surat-based Indian Diamond Institute, “By this gesture Narendra Modi has become a veritable ambassador of the ‘Make In India’ campaign given that Surat has also emerged as the global leader in lab-grown diamond cultivation and manufacturing.”
Innovation, expertise driving diamond industry’s growth
Navadia says the very fact that the United States is the world’s biggest consumer of lab-grown diamond jewellery worldwide gives a special meaning to this gift by the Prime Minister.
For the rest of this article: https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/modi-gifts-jill-biden-lab-grown-diamond-made-in-surat


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Planning 2014. The Privacy Gift Shop will travel to Tel Aviv for an installation, workshop, and more.
The Privacy Gift Shop will be on view in Amsterdam in January 2014 for the FACELESS exhibition.
FACELESS at Mediamatic Fabriek in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Opening: January 25, 2014
On view through April 13, 2014
As part of the FACELESS exhibition in Vienna, the Privacy Gift Shop was installed in the museum's exhibition space to over 24,000 visitors.
The Privacy Gift Shop's launch at the New Museum store in Manhattan.


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This week has been set aside to honor small busines owners and employees by President Bush who issued the proclamation on the eve of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s observance of National Small Business Week in Washington, D.C. (April 23-24), which honors the nation’s most outstanding entrepreneurs and culminates with the selection of the National Small Business Person of the Year for 2007.
From a White House press release, President Bush is quoted as saying:
âEvery day, our nation’s small businesses help enhance the lives of our citizens and lead the way in an economy distinguished by low unemployment, sustained job creation, and one of the fastest growth rates of any major industrialized nation,â? the President said in his proclamation. âSmall businesses are the lifeblood of cities and towns across the country, and we salute small business owners, entrepreneurs, and employees for enhancing our communities and expanding opportunities for all. The hard work and ingenuity of our nationâs small business men and women are helping to sustain Americaâs economic strength.


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David Starkey, historian, decided now is a good time to bring up Enoch Powell’s ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech in relation to the London riots. It’s an argument so reductionist he actually distilled the cultural debate to who is ‘black’ and ‘white’. Like an inappropriate uncle drunkenly ranting at the family lunch, this is not his finest hour.
Archive for August, 2011
I support the idea of protest but the mindless violence and opportunistic looting in the UK lacked any genuine motivation. If they had gone for food or medical supplies I would’ve at least understood their needs but running off with X-Boxes, designer clothes and sports shoes says more about consumer branding than any proper poverty.
I read today that Apple now has more cash than the US government. This is disturbing especially when you consider which welfare programmes are being cut from the US budget (today’s news is also about the US debt ceiling agreement). Are transnationals like Apple stepping in to pick up the tab to fund medicare or social security? Sadly not – it’s not their responsibility. But is the state allowed to tax them more to fill the funding gap? Not if the likes of the Tea Party have their way.


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On September 4, 2012, Canada’s Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) each, independently, recovered E. coli O157:H7 from a sample of raw beef trimmings from the Brooks, Alberta production establishment of XL Foods Inc., registered with CFIA as Est. 038.
According to the Summary of Events released by CFIA, no recall was initiated, because CFIA determined that neither of the contaminated batches of product (beef trimmings produced on August 24th and 28th) had reached the Canadian marketplace.
Here are a few of the key dates and events that followed the initial findings:
On September 6th, CFIA requested distribution information and testing results from XL Foods for all products from those two production dates.
On September 12th, FSIS reported two more positive E. coli O157:H7 findings to CFIA.
On September 13th, CFIA removed XL Foods from the list of establishments eligible to export meat to the USA. But, despite the multiple findings of E. coli O157:H7 in samples of beef trimmings from the Brooks plant, and despite noting several deficiencies in the plant’s operations and sampling protocols, no public recall was announced – because, in the words of CFIA, of “…the absence of evidence that any affected product from the initial discovery had reached the marketplace.”
Nevertheless, that same day, XL Foods began to advise its customers that it was recalling beef trimmings produced on August 24th, August 28th, and September 5th.
On September 16th, Canadians finally were let into the dirty little secret. CFIA released its initial Health Hazard Alert. It was another four days before FSIS issued its first Public Health Alert for Imported Canadian Raw Boneless Beef Trim from XL Foods. Both CFIA and FSIS have issued multiple updates as the number of production dates under recall increased.
On September 18th, the Public Health Agency of Canada told CFIA that the Alberta Health Services was investigating five cases of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses; there was a possible link, CFIA was informed, between four of those cases and steaks purchased at an Edmonton Costco Wholesale store – steaks that had originated at XL Foods Inc.’s Brooks facility.
On September 27th, CFIA temporarily suspended the operating license for XL Foods Inc. (Establishment 038) in Brooks, AB after determining that “…adequate controls for food safety were not fully implemented in the facility.”
On September 29th, CFIA acknowledged in an updated Health Hazard Alert (for the first time) that four E. coli 0157 illnesses were associated with the consumption of beef products originating from XL Foods Inc. (Est. 38). The following day, CBC News reported that a total of nine cases of E. coli were under investigation, including the four confirmed cases.
So what’s my beef?
1. CFIA should have insisted on a recall of the meat from August 24th and August 28th production dates as soon as it was clear that there was a contamination problem at Brooks that involved more than a single batch of beef trimmings.
2. CFIA’s initial Health Hazard Alert should have been issued as soon as a decision was taken to recall product – NOT THREE DAYS LATER.
3. Neither the Public Health Agency of Canada nor Alberta Health Services have posted any information on their web pages regarding the E. coli O157:H7 illness investigations.
4. FSIS waited four extra days after the Canadian Health Hazard Alert to issue its own Public Health Alert.
5. FSIS still has not released a list of recalled products in the USA; nor has it released names of any of the meat processing or grinding or food service or distribution companies that are impacted by this beef recall – just a list of affected retailers. FSIS is relying, instead, on the individual retailers to post information listing recalled products.
On the plus side, CFIA has been very forthcoming with detailed recall information, including full identification of products by name, UPC, and packing or expiration dates, and retail distribution information by retailer and province/territory.
For a full list of products recalled to date in both Canada and the USA, including retail distribution information, please consult the Canada/USA Beef Recall page.


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Tala, a company that uses users' phone data and their activity to create credit scores to determine the amount of credit a user can receive, has raised $145 million in Series E funding. Primarily focused on providing loans for individuals in emerging markets, the latest investments values Tala at a little over $800 million.
Leading the round was Upstart, founded by ex-Googlers Dave Girouard, Anna Counselman, and Paul Gu. Other investors include Defi network Stellar Enterprise, alongside new investors Kindred Ventures and the J. Safra Group. The list does not end there. Existing investors IVP, Revolution Growth, and Lowercase Capital also took part in this round.
Following the announcement, Paul Gu, the co-founder of Upstart, and Denelle Dixon, the executive director and CEO of the Stellar Development Foundation, will join Tala's board of directors. What this round means for Tala in terms of funding is that it has raised a little over $360 million.
Founded in 2011, the idea behind the digital lender was based on the finding that in emerging markets, people were creditworthy but lacked immediate access to credit and quick loans. Shivani Siroya, the founder of Tala, discovered this while engaging in some research for the United Nations Population Fund.
Three years later, Tala launched its mobile application to offer credit and collateral-free loans to consumers in Kenya but has since expanded to the Philippines, Mexico, and, more recently, India. Tala boasts a customer base of over 6 million across these regions and claims to have disbursed over $2.7 billion worth of credit since its inception.
And with 12,000 new users signing up every day to access credit, Tala is making a transition to offer a broader range of financial services around an account and capture more value across the supply chain, TechCrunch reported.
Tala plans to use its new capital to expand its team across the four markets it serves and the U.S., where it is headquartered. The company also revealed its plans for geographic expansion but failed to disclose the region.


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The scheme promises to keep items at the supermarket at a lower or equal price to their rivals but it due to be ended in October.
The price guarantee has been around since 2010 but it will all be over on October 3, reports The Mirror.
The closure follows in the footsteps of Tesco which also scrapped its money-saving scheme in June to focus on own-brand prices instead, after revealing just one in eight people were actually making use of it.
Asda's 'price match' currently allows shoppers to compare their shop to the advertised prices of comparable items at Tesco, Sainsbury's Morrisons or Waitrose stores.
If items are found to be cheaper, the customer can claim the money back on their next shop. To use it, you have to enter your receipt number online.
If it turns out your shopping isn't 10 per cent cheaper, you can claim a voucher for the difference for your next store visit.
The money-saving initiative is especially famous amongst the 'wombling' community - who deliberately set out in search of vouchers to redeem online.
On Wednesday, Asda announced the closure of the scheme, instead promising price reductions to "keep prices low".
In an email to users, the supermarket giant claimed to have invested over £100 million in lowering the price of 1000's of products instead.
It said the price guarantee website would continue to work as normal until 3 October, and you'll have 28 days after you check to redeem your voucher.
The official Asda website said: "It's a decision we've not taken lightly because we love it dearly, but in reality, we know our customers don't love it enough for us to keep it.
"Instead they want us to focus our investment on lowering our prices, and they'll let us know if we're falling out of step with the competition."


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RadioShack in East Town Mall closing
GREEN BAY – Green Bay's last RadioShack store will close at the end of business on March 19.
An employee at the store in East Town Mall, 2350 E. Mason St., who asked not to be quoted because they were not authorized to talk to the press, said the store was notified several weeks ago about the closing.
RadioShack announced this week that it had filed for its second bankruptcy in two years. It will close 187 stores this month, about 9 percent of its 1,943 locations. It is not clear if the East Town closing is part of that plan or is closing for other reasons. A representative of the company's public relations firm said there was no list of stores to be closed and he could not confirm individual store closings.
RELATED: RadioShack files bankruptcy, closing stores
RELATED: Cook's Corner going out of business
The chain, based in Fort Worth, Texas, previously filed for bankruptcy in 2015, resulting in the closing of about 2,400 stores, including those on West Mason Street and in Bay Park Square mall. Subsequently, General Wireless, a joint venture of hedge fund Standard General and Sprint, acquired the company and operated 1,518 stores.
In a Chapter 11 reorganization petition filed Wednesday in the U.S Bankruptcy Court in Delaware, General Wireless stated it planned to close 187 stores this month, with the process already underway. In addition, the chain says it is closing the RadioShack portion of the 360 stores that it shares with Sprint, and evaluating whether to do the same in 971 other shared stores.
About 1,850 of RadioShack's 5,900 employees are expected to be affected by the moves.
Sound Check in Pulaski also is a RadioShack retailer, as well as a Cellcom store. A call to Sound Check to inquire about its RadioShack status was not returned Friday.
Contact firstname.lastname@example.org and follow him on Twitter @RichRymanPG, onInstagram at rrymanpgor on Facebook at Richard Ryman-Press-Gazette. Or call him at (920) 431-8342. USA TODAY contributed to this report.


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The struggle against job cuts by Coca Cola shifts to Italy where workers were striking Thursday in protest at cost reduction plans by the American multinational.
The eight hour stoppage is in response to the announcement earlier this month that the company, producer of one of the world’s most popular soft drinks, will make 249 redundancies across Italy, adding to record jobless queues. This, despite quarterly profits of $2.59 billion, latest figures show.
The action in Italy follows strikes and major street protests earlier this year in Spain over the US company’s plans to axe over 800 jobs. This was knocked back – at least temporarily – in June by a court decision, which the company says it will appeal.
In May Coca-Cola workers protested in Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Portugal, Spain and Italy to demand that the company stop its ‘ruthless agenda of job cuts, and precarious, outsourced labour.’
Italian unions have slammed the drinks giant as ‘schizophrenic’ because it announced it was downsizing the workforce on July 16 only hours after it unveiled plans to give employees bonuses and boost employment in the country, which it considered ‘strategic’. Coca Cola’s Italian operations contribute 70 million euros to the company’s bottom line, say unions, yet the company wants to shift jobs to lower cost locations like Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria.
“It’s clear Coca Cola no longer considers our country strategic , or at least no longer considers it appropriate in terms of employment to reinvest a portion of those profits every year Italy provides to the Atlanta-based Group,” the Flai Cgil, Fai Cisl e Uila Uil unions said in a press statement.
This not the first time the company, which posted $47 billion in sales last year, has betrayed unions and local communities dependent on Coca Cola for jobs. They gave support to the US multinational’s campaign against a proposed tax on fizzy drinks designed to curtail consumption of unhealthy sugary beverages because Coca Cola argued the tax would put jobs at risk. However, the company proceeded to cut jobs anyway, boosting profits in the process, unions say.
See the photos of the protest